Papermaking is an ancient art. It was discovered by Ts'ai Lun in China as he was the first person to start a paper industry.
The First Paper
Once Ts'ai Lun broke a bark of a mulberry tree and beat its fibers into a sheet.
This sheet was the first made paper ever! Later, after investing some time, he discovered that this sheet can be improved by adding external material like rags, nets, chemicals, fabrics, textiles, etc.
The first paper used for writing made by Ts'ai Lun was called, "paper of Marquis Tsai". A few years later, the Chinese started to use paper for writing.
Starting from that time in around 105 A.D. i.e. approx 2000 years ago, today, the paper industry has made an enormous development in all factors.
Basic Raw Materials In Paper Making
Cellulose Fibers are the principal raw material in papermaking.
The structure of cellulose fibers is short and threadlike which dissolves very well in the pulp and makes the pulp even. It can be extracted from softwood trees, hardwood trees, recycled fibers, and rags.
Some of the examples of softwood trees are spruce, pine, and fig.
The length of fibers produced from these trees is about 3 mm. The hardwood fibers are shorter and make the surface of the paper smooth.
The basic raw material used in the ancient paper was fiber extracted out of trees, rags, old fishnets, etc. However, today the paper industry focusses on recycling old and used papers for the manufacturing of new papers.
The raw materials used for the production of the paper include fibers extracted from trees, textiles, fabrics, plastics, etc.
The Virgin Fibers
Some essential items are necessary for maintaining the quality of the paper.
This mainly includes the Virgin fibers. Virgin fibers are those that are not previously used or not recycled. They are obtained directly from fresh trees.
Virgin fibers give paper strength, durability, shine and glow.
They increase the life of the paper and enrich its look and feel. Timber is the major source of generating virgin fibers.
Other Essential Raw Materials Used For Pulping
Some of the other basic raw material which is essential for the making of paper is wood which can be obtained from old wooden articles. There are special wood harvestings done for paper making.
Bagasse is obtained from dry sugarcane leftovers. It is the trash that is left over after the juice from the sugarcane has been extracted. Bagasse is also a major source of plant fibers. Usage of bagasse in papermaking is practiced in Latin American countries and the Middle East.
Bamboo is essential in pulp making. Bamboo provides strength to the paper and gives it a smooth texture.
Rags are old cloth pieces. Thus, they come in various fabrics like silk, cotton, linen, etc. Rags need to undergo treatments of washing and cleaning to remove the impurities, glues, wax, and other unwanted particles from the mixture.
Essential Chemicals Used in Paper Making
Some essential chemicals used in the papermaking process are dextrin, oxidized starch, styrene-butadiene latex, and styrene acrylic.
Caustic soda gives the fiber a smooth texture by increasing the pH of the pulp. Some natural adhesives are used like starch and dextrin, gelatine, asphalt, and bitumen.
Semi-synthetic and synthetic cellulosic material is also an important factor in the paper manufacturing process.
Sodium dithionite, Chlorine dioxide, Hydrogen peroxide, Ozone are the chemicals used for the bleaching process.
So these were some of the essential raw materials used in the papermaking.
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